After dazzling diners with flavorful ramen at Zen Asian BBQ when it launched two years ago, local restaurateur Mike Cardascia has branched out to a fresh city with another fusion cuisine.

Zen is still open in North Naples, but meet its Mexican cousin, ZaZa Kitchen, a Marco Island eatery promoted as a taqueria mixed with Latin fusion street food. ZaZa debuted Feb. 19 in the former space of Kirk’s Coney Island, which closed in November after operating for more than three years in the Olde Marco Square retail strip on Bald Eagle Drive.

Just follow the aroma to ZaZa. The pork, chicken and brisket for its Mexican favorites are slow-cooked for 12 hours in a smoker behind the restaurant.

“Everything is fresh made all day long,” Cardascia said. “We make guacamole, ceviche, chips fresh all day. No freezer.”

The fajitas added to ZaZa’s lineup last week are already popular, but the top tacos are the smoked brisket and al pastor – pork marinated in achiote spices, guajillo peppers, onions and pineapple.

ZaZa’s tacos ($2.89-$$3.79) are served authentically on soft corn tortillas with cilantro and onions. Other varieties include chicken tinga, carne asada, carnitas, shrimp and grilled or blackened fish.

Authentic tacos are a specialty of ZaZa Mexican restaurant, which debuted Feb. 19 in the former space of Kirk’s Coney Island on Marco Island.(Photo: ZaZa)

Daily specials feature three tacos served with rice and beans for $9.95 at lunch and $12.95 for dinner. Seafood varieties are $10.95 for lunch and $14.95 for dinner.

Of course, ZaZa’s menu has other popular Mexican dishes with a choice of meat. Burritos are served with a salad for $11.95 to $14.95. Enchiladas ($8.95-$11.95) and quesadillas ($9.95-$14.95) are served with Mexican rice and refried beans or ZaZa charro beans.

More local restaurant news

► La Bamba Brunch Bar & Patio launched in February for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Miromar Outlets in Estero.

Owners Mariano and Monica Rinaldi opened their latest restaurant adjacent to their longtime La Bamba Tequila Bar & Restaurant in the regional outlet mall’s restaurant piazza. The lakeside space with a large patio most recently was home to Florida Kitchen and Waterside Seafood & Grill Co.

The new full-service restaurant serves a variety of brunch items such as omelets made to order, avocado toast, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, and French toast with blackberries and goat cheese. Lunch and dinner items include a roasted pork sandwich, balsamic chicken and goat cheese wrap, Mexican chorizo and garlic shrimp burger, and a Mediterranean medley salad, according to a news release.

The new brunch bar also features a coffee and espresso menu as well as specialty cocktails such as a salted caramel coffee martini, strawberry mint mojito, pineapple Moscow mule, and a bacon-infused bourbon Manhattan. Drink specials include $20 bottomless mimosas, sangria and bloody Marys.

Owners Mariano Maldonado and Rocio Navarrete found it difficult to operate both their original longtime El Gaucho Inca restaurant in Fort Myers plus their bistro in Naples, especially since the couple lives in Fort Myers.

“We sold it because it was so much stress to handle two restaurants at the time and my husband is very concerned about quality, service and hospitality,” Navarrete said. “He would like to be in both places but we live in Fort Myers and driving to Naples in season is exhausting.”

In fall 2016, the family-owned-and-operated South American restaurant replaced the former Fred’s Diner in the corner of Uptown Center off Immokalee Road. A Lebanese restaurant soon will open to continue the dining succession at that location.

Despite its short run and abrupt ending in a difficult location, DeLuca considers his little burger joint a big accomplishment.

“We consistently provided a great product, service and value. Our burgers were second to none,” DeLuca wrote last month on Blue Collar Burgers’ Facebook page. “More love went into our hand-cut fries than most restaurants put into their $50 entrees. that is because I am a chef of extremely high standards and whether it is foie gras with poached figs or a $4 cheeseburger, it has to be fresh and prepared right.”

DeLuca said he enjoyed the final product and all the happy customers and regulars who came in almost every day.

“So, I want to give a huge thank you to all who have supported us and dined with us. It means a lot and I will miss each and every one of you,” he said.